COVID-19 News
In response to the mounting Coronavirus public health crisis, NH&RA launched a dedicated section of our website to keep stakeholders apprised of the evolving guidance. The webpage lists all news stories with the COVID-19 tag in the order in which they were added and stories can be filtered by state.
New Research Released on the Costs of COVID-19 Evictions
NLIHC and i4J estimate the costs of emergency shelter, inpatient and emergency medical services, foster care and juvenile delinquency to people experiencing homelessness as a result of eviction. Depending on the number of households evicted, these public costs would range between $62 billion and $129 billion.
Continued Availability of COVID-19 Supplemental Payments for HUD-Assisted Properties
HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing published Housing Notice (HN) 2020-11, opening a second application period for owners of Multifamily-assisted properties to apply for CARES Act supplemental funds to offset property expenditures to safely serve residents in light of COVID-19. The notice allows owners to submit payment requests for expenses incurred through November 30, 2020. Requests are due to HUD or the Contract Administrator by December 11, 2020,
NH&RA Joins Letter to IRS on COVID Relief for LIHTC Properties
NH&RA joined with 139 other organizations to support the National Council of State Housing Agencies’ (NCSHA) letter to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of the Treasury calling for an extension to the temporary COVID-related LIHTC relief.
Dec. 10 Webinar – Ready to Respond: Disaster Planning for Multifamily Affordable Housing Organizations
Enterprise Community Partners (Enterprise), HUD, Fannie Mae, and Bellwether Enterprise are holding a webinar from 1:30 – 3 p.m. ET on December 10 to discuss their new Ready to Respond: Business Continuity Toolkit. The toolkit equips multifamily affordable building owners & managers with a plan to address crisis as many housing communities confront risks associated with natural disasters and other risks that affect tenants and business resiliency, such as COVID-19.
CRF for Florida Housing’s Property Owners and Managers
Florida Housing clarified that households receiving Section 8 rental subsidy, as well as other households receiving federal rental subsidy, who can demonstrate that their monthly incomes have been specifically impacted by the COVID-19 crisis are eligible to participate in CRF for the household’s portion of rent, options (such as washer and dryer rental included in the lease or through an addendum to the lease) that are not paid by any other federal rental subsidy. The prohibition of duplication of benefits does not prohibit stacking benefits but does prohibit duplication.
Sign-On by Nov. 20 to Support IRS COVID-Related LITHC Accommodations
The Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition (AHTCC) is circulating a sign-on letter to support the National Council of State Housing Agencies’ (NCSHA) letter to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of the Treasury calling for an extension to the temporary COVID-related LIHTC relief. The deadline to sign-on is Friday, November 20. NH&RA joined the […]
FHFA Announces 2021 Multifamily Loan Purchase Caps for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that the 2021 multifamily loan purchase caps for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) will be $70 billion for each Enterprise. NH&RA applauds the increased caps and looking forward to working with FHFA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to ensure sufficient liquidity in the multifamily mortgage market during this economic downturn.
Connecticut Landlord Application for Temporary Rental Housing Assistance Program
The Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH), with the assistance of the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA), has launched Phase Two of the Temporary Rental Housing Assistance Program (TRHAP). To facilitate the process of applying for rental assistance, the TRHAP program now provides an option that allows landlords to access the TRHAP portal and apply on behalf of tenants who need rent relief due to a COVID-19 related hardship.
Post-Election Legislative Landscape
The Senate returned this week and hit the ground running with Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 appropriations. Funding for the federal government runs out on December 11 and both Republicans and Democrats have stated their desire for full FY 2021 appropriation, as opposed to another short-term or long-term continuing resolution. A COVID-19 relief package and a tax bill are widely seen as the other must-dos during the lame-duck session. All three legislative vehicles provide opportunities to attach LIHTC priorities. We’ll continue to monitor the latest developments and engage our members when action is needed.
Kansas Launches New Statewide Eviction Prevention Program
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly (D) announced a $35 million statewide relief initiative to keep Kansans in their homes. Tenants and landlords experiencing financial hardship as a result of the COVID pandemic may receive up to $5,000 in rental assistance per tenant household.
Florida Updates COVID Relief Funds, RFA 2020-205
Florida Housing Finance Corporation removed the requirement for households to pay 30 percent of their household income to be eligible for Coronavirus Relief Funds (CFR) Rental subsidy. Any already submitted CRF subsidy requests need to be resubmitted and the request amounts need to be updated to reflect this programmatic change.
On November 9, 2020, Florida Housing issued a second modification of RFA 2020-205 “SAIL Financing Of Affordable Multifamily Housing Developments To Be Used In Conjunction With Tax-Exempt Bonds And Non-Competitive Housing Credits”, which extends the Application Deadline from November 12, 2020 to November 18, 2020.
Maryland Assisted Housing Relief Program Update
The Maryland Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) is extending the Assisted Housing Relief Program (AHRP) to cover rent delinquencies through October. Applications will be accepted starting November 2, 2020. The application period will close on November 20, 2020.